The Ulster County Legislature voted 18 to 3, with one abstention, to approve $54,000 in design services to replace the oil burner at the Ulster County Jail with a natural-gas model.
Before hitting the floor, this resolution was passed by the Energy and Environment committee, Law Enforcement and Public Safety committee, Public Works and Capital Projects committee and the Ways and Means committee. The request for this amendment was at the request of Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan on behalf of the Department of Public Works.
However, legislator Al Bruno said that he believes money is being layered “on top of money, on top of money, on top of money,” for the jail’s heating system, which was expected to last much longer. (The building opened in 2007.) Like the jail itself, the cost of this project is coming in much higher than expected, more than doubling from its initial allocation of $250,000 to $685,000.
“I am very cautious about this but I also understand that it has to be done,” said Bruno. “It’s one of those no-win situations.”
Some of the previou allocations include $31,000 for a “flex tech” study in September 2018, $242,000 for a natural gas line extension from County Route 32 in May 2019 and $108,000 for construction of piping from the new natural gas main to the boilers last February.
Legislator Tracey Bartels voted no on the grounds that the natural-gas system “relates to continued reliance on fossil fuels.” Bruno said he, too, wishes it could be done with “more green equipment.” Legislators Laura Petit and Manna Jo Greene also expressed similar concerns.
“I can’t believe with all the technology we have we can’t find something that is more climate friendly at this point,” said Petit.
Minority Leader Kenneth Ronk asked what other alternatives could be brought to the table that “would replace the natural gas infrastructure that is going to keep our inmates who are in the county jail warm during the winter.”
“I understand the protest votes based on the lack of green infrastructure that’s involved,” said Ronk. “But I would be willing to bet that any large percentage of the folks on this Zoom meeting heat our homes with either oil, natural gas or propane, because that’s what’s available right now in the mainstream.”
Ronk said he was not aware of another option that would be greener and able to heat a building as large as the jail at a price that is affordable for taxpayers.
Greene said other options at the time of discussion were geo-thermal or air-source heat pumps.
“I understand the costs were greater,” said Greene. “But the differential is gradually getting less and less as the cost for putting in this fossil fuel system increases over time.”
Bartels, Greene and Petit voted no while legislator Herbert Litts abstained for employment reasons.
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